Ten Kingsport school reception windows to get safety glazing

KINGSPORT — City school officials have approved funding of safety and security upgrade for safety glazing at reception windows at 10 schools, as well as upgrades to the wireless and switching infrastructure in the school system.

Both projects were approved during the Board of Education meeting this week by a 4-0 vote, with member Karen Reed-Wright absent.

The board also approved the proposed 2018-19 budget amendment to include additional required matching local funds related to the State of Tennessee Safe Schools grant and local funding in addition to available E-rate funding to expand technology infrastructure at all secondary locations and the KCS Administrative Support Center.

The safety glazing for reception areas of 10 schools came in at a low bid of $72,200 from Armstrong Construction Co., plus an architect’s fee of $7,500 and a 6 percent contingency of $4,332 for a total of $84,032. The work is to be done with a 110-day time window.

In other action:

— The board voted 4-0 with one absent to fund wireless and switching infrastructure from the KCS general purpose school fund, unreserved fund balance. The bid went to to Personal Computer Systems.

KCS Chief Technology Officer Scott Pierce reviewed two quotes, submitted through the Tennessee Education Broadband Consortium, to provide upgraded wireless and switching infrastructure at KCS middle schools and high schools, as well as the Administrative Support Center or central office. KCS previously converted to similar hardware at the Palmer Center and KCS elementary schools.

The contract for E-Rate category two hardware went to PCS at a cost of $619,691.10 and establish a 6 percent contingency of $37,182. Actual costs to Kingsport City Schools after E-Rate discounts will be $186,271. Funding for this project will come from the general purpose school fund’s unreserved fund balance.

— Board member Eric Hyche recognized the KCS School Nutrition Services department and staff for receiving perfect health inspection scores of 100 at every KCS school during the Fall semester. School Nutrition Services Director Jennifer Walker was joined by several KCS cafeteria managers in accepting the recognition.

School cafeterias are inspected by Tennessee health inspectors twice each school year, and the inspections are similar to those that take place in restaurants, with the purpose to identify deficiencies in food preparation and delivery safety. KCS cafeterias served an average of more than 6,000 meals each day during the first semester.